She hoped that her father was still alive and safe. A number of possibilities could be pulled up on what might have happened that the man had to leave his wife and daughter alone. One of them, her mother had to hear the most was that her father had run away from home with another woman.

Penny didn't believe it though. Not at least with the stories she had heard from her mother about how they had spent their few years together. Another possibility that had come up was that he was taken away by the black witches. Though not many black witches entered their village, it didn't stop the witches residing in the heart of the forest to only take and kill people for their own personal use.

"You are still waiting for his return," he stated. Penny didn't answer him and instead stayed quiet.

She didn't know if she was waiting for her father but she had never declared him dead. With so many possibilities she had kept her options open.

"What happened to your mother? I read that you lived with your uncle and aunt. What happened?" he asked her further questions.

"She passed away a few months ago. As I have no other family, my aunt decided to take me in."

"Doesn't seem like it turned out great," Damien leaned his back against the seat as if observing her very keenly.

"You say it because I ended up in the slave establishment?"

"Hmm," he hummed in agreement, "Which relatives sell their niece for some measly money. Utterly disgusting creatures," Penny's eyebrows frowned and she looked at him in curiosity now.

"Did you go check with them?" she leaned forward waiting for him to reply. It was something that had been lingering in her mind since she was put in the slave establishment and had been wanting to know if it was them who had put her in this current situation.

"What will you do knowing the answer, Penny? Haven't you heard ignorance is bliss? That is why most of the humans are idiots yet happy," by Damien's words it was hard to know if he was insulting them or was somewhere jealous of their lives but Damien was never jealous of such pointless matters. The man considered himself to be a supreme person who was of high importance.

"Were they the ones who put me in the slave establishment?"

Seconds seemed to pass by as Damien took his very own sweet time to answer her, "What do you think?" he asked her instead of giving her the answer she was waiting for.

"They did..."

"They did," he confirmed her, watching her expression where the girl's eyebrows furrowed even further, "I should say though, they sold you very cheap or were swindled by the broker who took you to the establishment. I mean seventy silver coins. And here I paid for five thousand."

"Three thousand, master Damien," Penny corrected him to see the smile back upon his lips. Who knew that this man could bargain the gold coins and it wasn't ten or twelve coins but a good two thousand gold coins which he didn't pay as told during the ongoing auction. For someone who had a lot of money, this one knew to save it well, thought Penny in her mind while having an eye contest with the vampire.

Breaking away the eye contact she turned to look outside the window, the trees passing one after another in a series of lines which were green in color. After what Damien said, Penny felt her heart sink in her chest. To think that her relatives had actually sold her for the silver coins. For Master Damien, the silver coins were like penny's in her own hand but only a family and a person who belonged to the lower society knew how hard it was to earn a good silver coin when there was no way to save the money due to the daily expenditure.

But how could they do it? The people whom she was supposed to rely on were not reliable, who was she supposed to trust? When one's own blood relatives didn't protect one another how could one believe a stranger then? Was she worth only so much? she asked herself, her eyes moistening where she had to blink several times for it to dry up so that she wouldn't let Damien see her cry.

At the same time, she felt Damien raise his hand towards her. Turning to look, she saw a kerchief that he was holding out for her, "You can cry and wail if you want, I wouldn't mind it," he said, making her frown. This cruel man was having fun over her misfortune. When a smirk came up, her lips set itself in a thin line. Yes, she nodded to herself. He was enjoying her current situation.

"I am fine, Master Damien."

"If you say so. We need to find you a pair of shoes," he said, glancing at her feet where she quickly hid it away from his sight, "We don't want you stepping on something where I will have to take you to the doctor."

Thinking about this, she felt like the need to pick her feet up to have a look at the number of times she had stepped on to something.

"Give your leg."

"Huh?"

"Deaf pet ,raise your leg. I want to take a look," he replied annoyed. Damien wasn't used to being questioned and it was he who usually asked the questions. Not only that but his pet was making him repeat himself. When he went to reach for it, Penny moved her leg to place it on his left on the seat awkwardly. Rolling his eyes, he took it in his hand to take a look by lifting it. On the other hand, Penny was utterly embarrassed as she had to cover her dress properly to avoid her legs to be seen.

She flinched, pulling her feet back when he ran his thumb on the back of her feet. Catching hold of her ankle so that she wouldn't move, he pressed his finger on the wound which looked like it had dried up now.

Penny's face was lit up warmly where she looked away from him. Trying to concentrate on the passing trees so she wouldn't feel the tickle on her bare feet.

"Did you step on something else, little mouse?" he asked her, observing her feet, "It doesn't look like it has been the first time you stepped in two weeks of time," he looked up at her for an answer where she gaped at him.

Penny looked at him impressed that he found out about it. He was way too observant with his surroundings and his words brash which he never held back. She was stuck with an outrageous vampire.